UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator (DERC) and Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs (ASG) Catherine Bragg yesterday concluded her four-day mission to Yemen, where she witnessed an intensifying humanitarian crisis in some parts of the country.

“We are seeing chronic deprivation made worse by continuing violence, with some of the world’s highest malnutrition rates, a breakdown of essential services and a looming health crisis,” warned Ms. Bragg.

ASG Bragg visited southern Yemen where tens of thousands of people have been displaced by fighting in the Abyan Governorate. She also met families in the country’s north, where as many as 300,000 have been displaced by the fighting in Sa’ada. Many of them remain stranded, unable to return to their homes due to insecurity and fears of retaliation.

Her visit comes a few days after a political transitional settlement was reached in Yemen. Despite the agreement, humanitarian needs in Yemen are projected to deteriorate over the next year.

Next year, funding of US$452 will be needed to provide assistance to approximately 3.8 million people. The humanitarian response plan for Yemen this year is around 60 per cent funded with $174 million still needed to provide food, emergency healthcare and shelter.

In Yemen’s capital Sana’a, the Deputy ERC met with government and humanitarian partners to discuss ways to strengthen response and address the growing needs of people affected by the conflict and displacement.

"I impressed upon the local authorities the need to find durable solutions for IDPs living in schools and ensure humanitarian actors have access to all areas where civilians are being displaced,” stressed Ms. Bragg.